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June 24, 2009
Tonight's ABC and Obama's Socialist Infomercial
ABC News on lapel flags after 9/11: “Overseas, it could be perceived that we’re just mouthpieces for the U.S. government, and that can place our journalists in danger.”
ABC News on having any debate President Obama’s health care plan: “I would have thought that a subject as important as the health care received by the American people would rise above this sorry spectacle.”
The same network that ordered its reporters not to wear the flag on their apparel after 9/11 for fear that someone would see the American Broadcasting Company as favoring one side — our side — in the war on terrorism now has the nerve to ridicule and degrade the loyal opposition to the president’s health care plan.
This is ridiculous and marks ABC as the fifth news network that sides with Obama.
It follows MSNBC, NBC, CBS, and CNN in siding with the president for corporate reasons. Apparently Disney executives want an invite to the next White House dinner.
Obama is getting an hourlong infomercial tomorrow night in prime time on ABC.
Republicans dared ask for some time. ABC would not even allow them to buy commercials.
In response to Republican complaints, David Westin — the man who banned lapel flags — gave a response that shows the same disdain for fairness and balance — and objectivity — that his counterparts at CBS, CNN, MSNBC and NBC have shown.
In summary: Patriotism is bad. Promoting the president’s political plan is OK.
June 23, 2009
The Honorable Lamar S. Smith
Chairman, Media Fairness Caucus
Congress of the United States
2409 Russell House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Congressman Smith:
Thank you for your letter of today’s date concerning our planned coverage tomorrow of health care reform in America. I am pleased that you agree that the subject deserves extensive and careful coverage. This is precisely what ABC News has given healthcare over many years; it is what we plan to continue tomorrow.
Unfortunately, you have found it appropriate to criticize a program that has not yet aired. Contrary to your assertions, this will not be “slanted” in any way – much less a “day-long infomercial” or “in-kind free advertising” as you allege. It will be a thoughtful, respectful, and probing discussion of some of the issues raised by the calls for health-care reform. We will include a variety of perspectives coming from private individuals asking the President questions and taking issue with him, as they see fit. We have heard already at some length (on ABC News and other outlets) from politicians and professional health care lobbyists, and there will be ample time to hear from them throughout the policy debate. I can see no reason why we should not hear tomorrow instead from some of the Americans most directly affected by the plans being discussed.
Sadly, some inside government and within the private sector see every issue as material for a sort of political high theatre, to be used to gain votes or energize political bases or simply to raise funds. I would have thought that a subject as important as the health care received by the American people would rise above this sorry spectacle. Our citizens need and deserve more. We are proud to be making a serious effort to go beyond mere punditry or stylized, bipolar debate; we are proud to work for a network and a company willing to devote valuable airtime to serious consideration of a subject so worthy.
Finally, on a note of personal privilege, I entirely reject your attack on my colleague, Dr. Timothy Johnson. Dr. Johnson has established himself over many years as the foremost medical editor in television news. His knowledge about health care reform is surpassed only by his commitment to the truth and to fairness.
As for Linda Douglass, she did indeed cover Congress for ABC News. But she left us nearly four years ago to become a fellow at New York University and to work at the Rockefeller Foundation.
I do appreciate your taking the time to express your views, which I will always welcome.
Sincerely,
David Westin
Wild Thing's comment.......
They need to be forced to remove “American” from their name. They make real Americans sick, calling themselves “American”.
They could change it to OBC....Obama Broadcasting Company.
He kills the economy, big business, small business, unemployment constantly getting worse, kills off the American dream, tries to kill of patriotism by putting anyone that protests his enormous taxes on all of us, the list is endless what he has destroyed.......and now this socialized medicine of his shows us he wants to destroy us physically. Dems if you don't like me saying that then read up on what has happened in other countries and how people DIE from their having socialized medicine. History about this screams not to touch it and yet Obama puts his ugly ass arms around it and embrasses it for our country.
There is a Petition and I have signed it. If you would like to as well HERE IS THE LINK.......FREE OUR HEALTH CARE
Posted by Wild Thing at June 24, 2009 05:55 AM
Comments
The person in charge of this charade ought to be fired! This is NOT media fairness. It almost sounds like since David Westin has an agenda, he's going to do whatever he can to push his cause down our throats.
This is what the Sarpy 912 group is counter protesting on Saturday-government run healthcare. What is ADC, Medicare and Medicaid for then? I'm sorry some don't have insurance, but don't blame or punish those who do and work very hard to have it. That is not our fault.
Posted by: Lynn at June 24, 2009 08:23 AM
I have insurance, even in my current state of unemployment. It is TriCare/TriWest, the coverage available to Retired Members of The Armed Forces of The United States. It is a government run program that does have choice and flexibility. It is better than some and not as good as some. It works. It is paid for in another form, at least twenty years of service. I would bet that obambozo would like to cancel it. Mainly because we earned it. He prefers to "take care" of all of us.
I do not want any of the IDIOTS in DC taking care of me. They have managed to screw up almost everything they get their hands on.
Second, ABC has gone to the almost absurd in becoming the official outlet for the "healthcare fix" so desired by the left. No debate or rebuttal allowed. ABC is now remeniscent of TASS. Remember those days?
Oh, and I do not owe anyone, anything. Not anymore. I settled that account on 30 September 1993 with my transfer to The Fleet Reserve following twenty years of Service and subsequently on 7 July 2003 when I was placed on the Permanent Retired List.
I agree with Lynn, the individual in charge of this cluster**** should be sent packing, preferably in handcuffs and leg irons.
Yeah, on election day last November, over 60 million of my own countrymen took a crap on guys like me. This is the result of that election.
Perhaps a running boycott of ABC is in order. And this extends to the local news also. In fact, I now refuse to watch my local ABC affiliate, at all. I might even give them a call today, just for the sheer fun of it.
I lived in Canada as a kid. It won't work, specifically with a population as large as we have in this country. People will die as a result of it. My wife is handicapped and a diabetic, and we are both in our mid fifties. Anything like this is a ticket to the morgue, due to the rationing that will occur when choice is taken away.
If The Obambozo's lips are moving, he's lying.
Posted by: Glenn Cassel AMH1(AW) USN RET at June 24, 2009 09:03 AM
If this POS legislation goes through without so much a debate this willl surely drive the United State into a huge contest of who is the greater third world nation Cuba or the United States.
It will give employers and option to dump the health care they already have and force people to either have none or go to the single payer plan. Also it will drive companies out of Business. As it stands now with the Supposed 40 Million without Health Care and 60% of these are Illegal, there will be more actual hard working American without Health Care by virtue of being forced out of the system.
This morning, I heard the House has been making deals with each other on the 'Cap and Trade' bill. This will be the final straw. This will break the camels' back. The Republican Leader Boehner is predicting 2.5 Million jobs lost. This would be a kind estimate.
Posted by: Mark at June 24, 2009 11:33 AM
I sure don't advise anyone to watch this tonight. It will be a waste of an hour of your life. It is canned propaganda.
Posted by: TomR at June 24, 2009 04:17 PM
This is Obama blackmail of Disney Corporation. Everyone should realize that because Disney's business involves "intellectual property" traded internationally it makes ABC/Disney among the most dependent corporations on the FBI and State Department's efforts.
If Disney does not provide the Pro-socialist, Pro-gay agenda that the Whitehouse wants maybe the FBI does not go to Hong Kong looking for DVD blue ray bootleggers or websites with "UP" streaming from Nigeria two weeks before theatrical release.
Disney trademarks could get short shift in international trade negotiations just as the State Department negotiated away American manufacture’s patent licensing rights for a couple of pennies on each dollar of value. The State Department was trying to build up Japan to make it an ally against the USSR but that did not help the American workers whose corporations found themselves competing with television technology or videocassette recorders that they developed ten years before the patents would have run out. Disney could see their name and trademarks licensed for a small flat fee in perpetuity, if they do not play Obama ball.
The GM secured bondholders can tell you about the Whitehouse’s respect for the law. ABC has no choice but to provide obscene services to the Obama Administration.
Posted by: Avitar at June 24, 2009 04:19 PM
I quit watching t.v. awhile back. I want to hear the truth and not political correcteness, so i get all my news from conservative sites on the internet. I don't remember when i last watched a t.v. show, unless it was Fox News only. The other networks are just politically correctly saying what they are supposed to say, not what is really going on anyway. Waste of my time.
Posted by: Suzanne Southerland at June 24, 2009 06:30 PM
Lynn, your right, I really think he is
going to force this on everyone.
Posted by: Wild Thing at June 24, 2009 08:14 PM
Glenn Cassel AMH1(AW) USN RET, thank you.
I agree with you and thank you for sharing
too.
I lost a dear friend that lived in Canada
and one in England, both died for only one
reason, because of socialized medicine.
They would have lived if they had been
in our country. But now it looks like we
might not be able to say that anymore.
It is a turn if we do it we cannot take
back and change, very scary.
Posted by: Wild Thing at June 24, 2009 08:21 PM
Mark, exactly and this is an added worry.
"It will give employers and option to dump the health care they already have and force people to either have none or go to the single payer plan.
Thanks for the information too about the
Cap and Trade bill too.
Posted by: Wild Thing at June 24, 2009 08:25 PM
Tom, thanks, I don't know if I can stand it.
whew there is only so much a human being
can take.
Posted by: Wild Thing at June 24, 2009 08:29 PM
Avitar, thank you, interesting, and
Nicholas and I have been gettig tons
of emails about the fight with our
Screen Actors Guild, the Producers and
Directors Guilds etc. about Disney, the bootlegging
and the websites with "UP" streaming. It is a real
mess.
Posted by: Wild Thing at June 24, 2009 08:40 PM
Suzanne Southerland, nice to meet you.
Posted by: Wild Thing at June 24, 2009 08:44 PM
